I started hearing the usual wedding march. One by one, the others started walking. I heard collective gasps of admiration as soon as the other guests saw me. I started to panic when I can't seem to feel my feet, I can't move. I looked up ahead and saw Tabi waiting for me with a glorious and victorious smile on his face. He was looking so gorgeous in his suit while Ji was standing beside him, equally stunning in all white. I looked back at Tabi and took a deep breath. I willed myself to move. I can do this! I've made it this far already.

 

With that in thought, I smiled brightly and moved forward to my future. I heard a few things of wedding from some customers in the cafe so I worried a little when I realized I was nearing Tabi too fast. I heard from the others that the march is usually torturous because it usually feels like forever before reaching the altar. So I started to slow down my pace. As I did, I finally noticed everyone around me. It seemed like everyone I know is here. There's Sohee with Yosuk, the gang, Bom unnie, Daesung, Minzy, Auntie Hyunmi, Dami unnie, the Lees, the Chois, even Minhwan. I think I even saw some of my classmates and teachers before. Then of course, there's CL-roo, my mother, Ji and Tabi.

 

I suddenly found myself in front of Tabi. I smiled at him, making sure that my eyes would never stray to Ji's direction. Tabi looked radiant, like's he's glowing or something. I saw that he was starting to get teary-eyed. I've never seen anything so uplifting before. I was right. I've made the right decision.

 

I've made the right decision.

 

I saw Tabi lifted his hand, palm up. I stole a glance at Ji and I regretted it. I shouldn't have looked. That face would just haunt me forever. But I must accept the consequences of my decision. So I turned my gaze back at Tabi then I slowly raised my hand and put it on top of Tabi's palm. He brought my hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it. Then, he put my hand on his chest, where his heart is. I felt the steady beat of it. I felt his warmth under my skin. He smiled gently. The very first gentle smile I've seen in his face.

 

“This will always be yours,” he whispered. He turned to the side and grabbed Ji's hand. Tabi squeezed my hand a little before putting it on top of Ji's palm. “But this is where you belong.”

 

I gasped in surprise the same time I heard the others gasped and started murmuring to each other.

 

“I'm sorry if it took this long. It wasn't my whole idea. It was Bom's idea to let it go this far. She wanted you to realize your feelings first but you were so stubborn. CL also took part-”

 

“When did this conspiracy thing happen? And how?” I snapped.

 

“It's a pretty long story,” Tabi answered. My eyes squinted as my fists curled into tight balls.

 

“You planned this all along?” I asked.

 

“Well, not really. At least not until three days-”

 

PUNCH!

 

I heard the people gasped in shock as Tabi fell to the ground from the force of my punch. I turned my head strongly towards CL-roo and Bom unnie. I marched angrily towards them and lunged at them, but my body stopped midway in the air as someone grabbed me by the waist.

 

“YA! YOU TWO! HOW DARE YOU KEEP SECRETS FROM ME! I HATE SECRETS! AND HOW DARE YOU LET IT GO THIS FAR?!? YOU-” I stopped as I felt someone breathing on my neck.

 

“Remember when I said we should keep your barbaric acts between the two of us?” he whispered in my ear. His breath tickles. I removed his arms off me and turned to him sharply.

 

“Were you in this, too?” I asked. He didn't answer. I started pounding on his chest and cried like a child who lost her candy somewhere.

 

“Did you really think I'd give you up that easily?” he softly asked. I wailed. “Hey, hush now, don't cry. Aren't you happy?”

 

“Of course I am happy!” I cried. “But all of you kept it from me!” I cried even harder. “Do you know how hard it was for me to watch you go after you said you love me? I wanted to stop you. Then, you started being sarcastic to me! Do you know how much I wanted to ask you to keep on fighting for me? I really thought you gave up one me already!” I was really bawling out now. “Do you know that I love you, too, huh?” I heard laughters from the guests. I turned to them, glaring. “What are you all laughing at?” I snapped.

 

“Okay, okay, hush now,” Ji said then turned to the guests. “Mianhe,” he bowed. “Err, wedding jitters,” he chuckled awkwardly. I cried even harder, getting hysterical, actually. Hey, I just wanted to be comforted by Ji. “If you don't stop crying, I won't kiss you ever again,” he whispered so low that I even thought I was just hallucinating. But the tingling sensation brought by his hot breath made it real for me. So, I composed myself with all my might.

 

“I'm okay now,” I sniffed then turned my gaze to Bom unnie and CL-roo, glaring. “We'll talk later.”

 

I turned back to Ji and grabbed his arm. “Let's go,” I said as I dragged him to the altar. I would have laughed at the priest's look but I didn't. Ji might not kiss me EVER again if I don't behave properly. The thought of kissing him again made me burst into a fit of giggle. I felt a nudge at my side. I looked up and stopped giggling as I saw the priest eyeing me doubtfully. He must be thinking I'm mentally unstable. But well, I guess that's true and it's Ji's fault.

 

“What are you waiting for?” I burst out. “Get on the wedding already.”

 

“Dara,” Ji sternly said.

 

“Mianhe,” I mumbled. I looked up at Ji and saw he was smiling apologetically at the old man. The old man sighed and shook his head. He then started the usual blah blahs. I wasn't really paying attention since my mind was drifting off somewhere that will take place LATER, after the wedding and the reception at the hotel.

 

“I do,” I heard him say. The old man turned to me and asked me the same question. I opened my mouth then closed it again as waves of emotion came crashing to me. Everything finally dawned on me. I'm actually getting married already! It seemed surreal. Tears started to fall as I felt a big lump on my throat, choking me. My breathing seemed to stop. I looked at the man I'm about to spend the rest of my life with and found out that he was looking at me curiously. From my peripheral vision, I saw HIM standing stiffly, tension was holding his lean frame. I glanced a little at him and saw a tear rolled down his cheek. I longed to reach and comfort him. I longed to cradle him in my arms like what he usually does to me. But he was right. I belonged to Ji. So, I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at Ji again. Once again, I was overwhelmed with emotions, one standing out, and that's HAPPINESS.

 

“I do,” I finally choked out without breaking his gaze.

 

 

AUTHOR's POV

 

At the reception. . .

 

TOP was watching the newlyweds dancing so romantically in the middle of the dancefloor. He sighed. He can't really understand what made him go ask for Bom's help.

 

“You're not as selfish as you think you are. 'Coz if you were, you should be the one dancing with her right now.”

 

TOP felt goosebumps all over his body. Now, he really regretted asking her help, ugh, she acts like they're already close. He should have settled with CL alone. He awkwardly looked at the girl who suddenly materialized beside him. “I guess it's nice to give away once in a while”.

 

“It was nice working with you, though. I was right,” Bom snorted. “She DID react differently to the event a while ago. Good thing Jiyong knows how to calm her down.”

 

“Yeah,” chuckles, “that's why I told CL what you told me. I warned her that her friendship with Dara might be compromised. Ah, that girl is really something. I don't know why I fell for her. But she was worth the fight, though.”

 

A satisfied smile curved Bom's lips. Well, she did say Dara would have to pay for messing up with her head and almost ruining her future. When she saw TOP's plan ahead of time, she already devised a plan herself. And that's to let Dara suffer a little. But she wasn't doing that to hurt Dara, oh well, maybe a little. But, in a way, she also tried to help Dara realize the difference between what she feels for Jiyong and TOP.

 

“I'm glad I agreed to your plan, though. If I immediately told her I was backing out even before the wedding, I wouldn't have seen what expression she would wear thinking that she was going to marry me.”

 

“Dara and Jiyong are one of the few who are lucky to grow up with their soulmate. They're the best example of the “destined couple”. While CL and Seungri are-”

 

“CL and Seungri?” TOP asked in surprise. He looked at the two. “That's impossible!” he breathed, seeing that the two were totally avoiding and ignoring each other even if they were standing besides each other.

 

“Exactly, same with you and me. It might seem impossible but it is possible.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about? There's no you and me, woman. Don't assume that because I asked your help, I already like you.”

 

“Oh, yes, there's a YOU AND ME even if you don't want it, there would be!” Bom exclaimed angrily.

 

“No way! If I have a choice, I wouldn't even talk to you nor look at you! You're too weird for my taste.”

 

“You say that, but you actually find me quite interesting. And cute. And funny.”

 

TOP fell silent. “Are you making a move on me?” he asked out of nowhere.

 

“Duh! Obviously! I know it will take you forever to confess and I don't want to get old without getting married. So, I'm giving you a headstart already. And oh, for future preference, I prefer corn than strawberry,” she winked.

 

 

Meanwhile. . .

 

“Hey, ugly.”

 

CL froze as Seungri dropped to the empty seat beside her. She's been standing stiffly beside him a while ago. When she got tired, she decided to take a seat. “Stop calling me that!” she snapped. The boy smirked.

 

“Want to dance?” he asked. Without waiting for her response, she grabbed her wrist and led her to the dancefloor, joining the others. He put her hands on his shoulders while his went to snake around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. He smiled even wider when he saw the girl's eyes widen. “I guess I was wrong about you, sorry,” he started.

 

“You should be,” the girl answered.

 

Seungri chuckled. “So, what made you. . .?” his voice trailed. CL fell silent for a while, and then she sighed.

 

“Remember Auntie Mi?” she slowly asked.

 

“Neh. Why?”

 

“She advised me to listen to my heart. So, I did,” she shrugged. “I guess I just love unnie.”

 

“Hmm. What does your heart tell you right now?”

 

“Why don't you find it out yourself?” she said in a teasing tone.

 

“Is that supposed to be a challenge?”

 

CL was about to answer when they heard TOP's voice. “I don't dance,” TOP said.

 

“Yes, you do,” Bom answered.

 

“No, I don't,” TOP insisted.

 

“You're already dancing,” Bom chuckled.

 

Seungri shook his head. “I wonder how long it will take Bom noona to bend TOP hyung,” he murmured.

 

“Wanna make a bet?” CL asked confidently.

 

“I go for one month,” Seungri suddenly said.

 

“I'm for two weeks,” CL grinned.

 

“Tow weeks? Haha! Are you sure? TOP isn't that easy to get so that's impossible,” Seungri exclaimed.

 

“Well, sorry to say this but nothing's impossible for me.”

 

An evil grin spread across Seungri's face as he remembered something. “How about we make another bet?”

 

“Call!” the girl immediately answered.

 

“How about I make you fall in love with me in just two days?”

 

“Ahahahaha! Dream on, loser! You're not going to win, and you know that. That's too impossible! I would never-”

 

“I thought you said nothing's impossible for you? Why, are you scared?” he asked.

 

“Of course not! Fine, I bet I would never fall in love with you!”

 

He chuckled. “So, we have a deal?”

 

“Neh!” CL answered confidently then frowned. “Ya! What's with that look?!?” she burst out. “You haven't won yet so don't look like you already did!”

 

“Well, if you paid attention to what Auntie Mi said to me, then, you should know.”

 

CL frowned for a while then her eyes went wide.

 

~o~

 

“These are the lamest wishes I've ever seen, Dara,” Jiyong said, shaking his head. Dara just smiled and didn't respond as she was too busy staring at his lips. Her chin was currently resting atop his bare chest while wearing a dreamy look. She was fascinated at how y his lips looked everytime he speaks, everytime they move. “Look at this one: I want to have my own action movie someday.”

 

Jiyong shook his head for the nth time and picked up another rolled paper from the box. He unrolled it and was about to read out loud when he stopped then chuckled. Dara, noticing that his lips stopped moving, came back to her senses.

 

“What did you say?” she blankly asked. Jiyong looked at her for a while, then, a naughty smile curved his lips.

 

“To marry my first kiss. Hmm. I must say, I didn't expect you were dreaming to marry me even before, little rabbit.”

 

“Ya! I wrote that wish even before the accidental kiss happened!” she defended herself.

 

“Oh, so you're calling it an accident now? I remembered you were TOO FIRM and SURE that I did it on purpose. You're such a cheater, do you know that?”

 

“Cheating is always part of the game, Ji,” she said.

 

“And you pretty much abused it.”

 

“I did not!” she exclaimed. “Why don't you just continue opening the rest so we'll see who wins?”

 

Jiyong continued and like the previous wishes, the rest were pretty much the same: lame.

 

“I won!” Dara declared.

 

“No, you did not.”

 

“Yes, I did,” Dara said, eyes twinkling. Jiyong smiled. He had always dreamt of washing the sadness away from her eyes. It astounds him how beautiful her eyes are when there's nothing but happiness in them. Finally, he succeeded in removing that sadness that has disturbed him for almost his entire life. What more could he ask for?

 

“Fine, you win.”

 

Dara laughed. “I want my prize now,” she wiggled her brows.

 

“Oh, please be gentle,” Jiyong moaned.

 

“I'm the winner, I should call the shots,” she said as she reached for his lips. A low feral moan escaped from her as Jiyong flipped over, changing their positions. Excitement washed over Dara's body as she felt his hand started traveling to God knows where. As her hands got trapped with his hair, she remembered something. She pushed Jiyong away gently. “Ya! I'm the winner, remember?”

 

“What now?” he asked a little impatiently. She smiled a little.

 

“Remember Auntie Mi?” she asked.

 

He frowned. “Neh. Why?”

 

“She told me about a fly trapped in a spider's web. She asked me what usually happens when the fly tries to escape. I told her two things. One, the spider would notice the fly. Then, the second one, I said that if the fly attempts to escape, it'll trap itself even more. At that time, I don't really know what it means. But now, I think I do.”

 

“Really? And what's that?”

 

“I think she was trying to say that I should just admit to myself how much I love you and that I'm trapped with you whether I like it or not.”

 

He snorted. “Whether you like it or not?”

 

“Neh.”

 

Jiyong fell silent. “I think she made a mistake,” he slowly said. “I think that reading was intended for me.”

 

She felt a lump on . Without warning, she pulled his head back down to hers and let their lips touched.

 

She had been trapped all along. No wonder she can't call TOP her first love, it was always first boyfriend. She was wrong about 'fate playing tricks on her'. She just realized that fate actually helped her realized Jiyong's importance in her life. Yes, she was a bit late to realize it, but, like the saying goes: it's better late than never.

 

Now, she can believe that some things DO last forever.

 

Imagine a fly trapped in a spider's web.

 

She was trapped. And maybe Jiyong was, too. But this time, there won't be any attempts to escape. She'll be trapped forever. Forever, with him.

 

 

Imagine a fly trapped in a spider's web.